The Orphaned - cont.
1963 Words
After Luke left his cousin's office, he decided to head to the forest area to unwind a little. Having werewolf blood running in his veins means that he is inextricably linked to the forest. He loves to be around nature. And when he is feeling stressed or just feels the need to unwind, he likes to let himself go and just embrace his true nature.
In the wild. Just free and wanton.
Before he reached the inner part of the forest, though, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness overcome him. The feeling was so strong that he felt the need to just bend down and cry his heart out.
No!
He was not far from the administration building but he ran as fast as he possibly could to get there.
"Where are you taking me, werewolf boy? I'm still enjoying my coffee," Earl Rye jokingly complained while being dragged by him. It's a good thing that he himself has vampire blood and keeps up with his cousin's speed. Or else, he will really be dragged around like a rag doll.
"She's in trouble," Luke replied. Short and precise. His expression was serious.
Looking at his cousin's reckless behaviour, displaying his abilities in public, it's lucky that there are no unrelated people around. Earl Rye can already imagine all the trouble it will take him to clear out the memories of the witnesses one by one if this accident gets leaked. He shook his head.
Whoever made him think that being the student president of Haynes University is easy?
They reached the college of music in no time and headed straight to the underground level where all the private and individual practice rooms are located.
The pair headed directly for the farthest room in the second hallway of the east wing. This time, Luke no longer had to drag Earl Rye.
The moment Earl Rye entered the underground level of the building, he could sense a strong fluctuation of mental energy coming from where Cellestine and her friends were.
They arrived just in time to see Kara Mien Guevarra almost collapsing from the overdraft of using her abilities. Earl Rye quickly erected a spatial wall to enclose Cellestine's music room and then made another smaller spatial wall to replace Karmi's almost collapsing one.
He couldn't help but be surprised. It seems like these three girls have already awakened their abilities early. Which is why they were not affected by his slight coercion yesterday. As for Cellestine, it proves to show that she is just in the early stage of blood awakening. But her ability is actually of the same type as his, so she was so sensitive about his mental suggestions yesterday.
Luke came to the side of the girl who made him panic just now. Although her mental power is rioting, he will not be affected that much because of their personal connection.
He badly wanted to reach out to comfort her but he knew that he couldn't do so. Sometimes things like this happen to their kind when their blood is awakening. Their racial abilities will be triggered and will manifest even though the person's blood is not fully awakened yet. This is only for a short time though, and this doesn't happen to everyone. It is a crucial period and must not be interrupted or else, there will be a backlash on the ability holder.
Thinking about the future, the girl actually not only needs to go through the same experience as others once but twice, his heart aches.
The moment she was about to fall down, he was able to catch her. His heart finally fell back in place.
"Do we have to send her back to her room?" Luke asked as she approached the group with Cellestine in his arms.
Louella shook her head. "Just let her rest on the leather couch." Cellestine must have a lot of questions if she woke up finding herself in her own room.
"We’ll take care of her here," Devonne added. Indicating that they can handle things from here.
Karmi nodded to the two gentlemen. “Thank you just now. We can handle things from here," she said, primarily to Luke. She knew that he wanted to stay by her, but he couldn't. At least not just yet.
"We understand," Earl Rye said. This time, he was the one who dragged his reluctant cousin out. He shook his head.
Tsk.
Hopeless.
---
For the first time in several days, Cellestine woke up from her sleep in a very easy mood. She was able to sleep comfortably on the leather couch inside her practice room.
When she tried to move her head, she felt that her head was lying on something soft. Looking up, she realized that she was actually using Louella's lap as a pillow.
Louella, who was blissfully reading her book, noticed it the moment Cellestine woke up. She helped her friend to sit up and handed her a glass of water.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
This time, Cellestine can truthfully answer that she was okay. She actually felt very light and relaxed.
"Maybe you will not believe me if I say this, but I actually feel very good right now."
Louella smiled. "Silly. Of course I believe you," she then gave her friend a comforting smile.
Cellestine also smiled at Louella.
"Well, it's a good thing that you're up, young lady, because I'm actually starving." Karmi interrupted.
It was then that Cellestine realized that her other two friends, Karmi and Devonne, were actually sitting on the floor just beside the couch.
"Well, you said you were hungry. I'm actually feeling hungry as well," Cellestine stood up and grabbed Karmi's hands to help her up. Louella did the same thing to Devonne.
"Let's go to the cafeteria?" Louella suggested. The rest of the girls agreed and they all went off.
Cellestine was the last one to leave the room. She looked around the room one more time. The black grand piano was sitting quietly on the side.
That bizarre experience that she had earlier was still clear in her memory. It's the first time that she was in such a state while playing her piano. It's as if all her emotions became very tangible in the air through the music from her fingertips.
Was it just because she tried a new style of playing the instrument, or it was something more magical? Something that she couldn't comprehend at the moment.
She also knew that the moment she played the last note, she lost control of her body and passed out. Someone who was not among her group of friends caught her and must have been the one who carried her to the couch. But she did not ask.
The person was not there when she woke up and no one talked about it. So, she won’t bother inquiring about it.
It was the familiar and unfamiliar touch, though. As if that someone was a person she knew in the past but she still couldn't put a face on him.
Also, there was that feeling of inexplicable trust. Like a sense of comfort that the person will not harm her. A face flashed in her mind. A handsome face with a captivating smile. Was it him?
She rejected the idea. He had just met the person for the first time. They don't even know each other save for their names. Whoever that person is, he or she will definitely appear in front of her one day.
She closed the door and went after her friends.
While Cellestine was locking the door of her practice room, the three girls, Karmi, Louella, and Devonne looked at each other. They all heaved a sigh of relief. They were not prepared. They were not sure if they would be able to explain properly should Cellestine have any questions about what happened earlier.
But Cellestine is a very intelligent person.
If she does not want to talk about it, it means that she has a certain understanding of things. Maybe she also thinks that it's not the right time to ask about it.
Unlike the past two days when there were only a few students eating in the cafeteria, this time the cafeteria was packed. It's mainly because the school's opening ceremony will be tomorrow.
The majority of the students are already here on the campus. Others will arrive later in the evening, while some students with their parents will come tomorrow morning just before their school's opening ceremony starts.
"If there is one thing that the old man did well this time, it's making sure we have a reserved table in the cafeteria," Karmi said while still chewing her food. "It saves us a lot of trouble.”
"Swallow your food before talking, Devonne reprimanded, rolling her eyes. "You're a grown-up lady. Not a kid from kindergarten," she added.
"Oh, please. Don't insult kindergartners," Louella joined Devonne in mocking Karmi. She's not really the most prim and proper lady around. "Seriously, though, your table manners won't get you a boyfriend."
"I'm not always like this, okay?" Karmi defended. Her cheeks bulging, still munching on food. "I'm famished. Just let me enjoy my food."
Louella, Devonne, and Cellestine just shook their heads. Among their group, it was Karmi who was more casual about rules and etiquette. She didn't care much about refined lady-like behavior, especially in the company of her friends.
Cellestine acts the other way around. Just her eating posture and table etiquette was a feast for the eyes. If you have to see a video tutorial of how a prim and proper lady should eat, Cellestine can pass as a textbook example.
Some people would just shake their heads and wonder about the stark contrast between the cousins even though they almost grew up wearing the same clothes.
"Hey, Karmi," Cellestine said after swallowing her food and wiping her mouth with a tissue.
Karmi, who was enjoying her favorite pasta, looked at her and raised her eyebrows. As if asking, 'What do you want?'
Cellestine was used to it.
"Did you know that just yesterday afternoon, since you arrived, I haven't seen any shadow of uncle Harvey?"
Karra Mien Guevarra almost choked on her food after hearing this question. Louella, the always prepared one, handed her a glass of water and helped pat her back.
"Girl, don't rush your food. There's plenty more," Devone said, trying to find an excuse for Karmi's uncalled reaction.
When the pasta finally eased down her throat, Karmi just stuck her tongue out at Devonne. She then went to answer Cellestine's question.
"Don't talk about that old man. He actually told me yesterday that he's going to treat us to dinner. But when dinner came, his secretary called and she told me that he actually had an emergency meeting in the city."
Karmi complained in an exaggerated manner, trying to hide the fact that Harvey was actually unconscious at the moment. It's still uncertain if he will wake up tomorrow in time for the university's opening ceremony.
Cellestine didn't have any suspicion that her cousin was actually lying to her. This has always been the case with Karmi and their uncle Harvey.
She and her uncle Harvey are either mistaken for brothers and sisters or father and daughter. But Karmi and Harvey together is a different story altogether.
They treat each other as enemies when they are together. It wouldn't take long for them to argue about the simplest things, especially when eating. They like two different flavours. Harvey likes sweet savoury ones, while Karmi will always go for the super spicy or sour.
Sometimes Cellestine thinks that Karmi was born to be the fishbone in his uncle's throat.
- Writer
